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Bill McKibben (left) and Rev. Lennox Yearwood kick off the 2024 Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit in New York.

New York was abuzz with activity last week due to the annual United Nations General Assembly that brought world leaders to town and Climate Week, in which scientists, activists, writers and politicians discussed efforts to slow and reverse the rapid buildup of greenhouse gasses threatening the planet's health. Forbes was in the thick of it at the Sustainability Leaders Summit where members of the inaugural Sustainability Leaders list, corporate executives, environmentalists and investors focused on concrete steps to accelerate the shift to clean energy, improve access to clean water and ocean health and sequester carbon pollution.

The common theme among speakers including environmental writer Bill McKibben, Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., president and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus, actor Matt Damon, cofounder of Water.org and WaterEquity, former U.S. Secretary of State and climate envoy John Kerry and billionaire investor Tom Steyer was the need to move faster because the window of opportunity to limit the worst effects of climate change is closing.

“It’s not like a big secret what we’re supposed to do,” said Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, cofounder of Urban Ocean Lab. “It’s a matter of how quickly we’re going to implement these solutions.”

Rapid growth in clean energy, particularly from solar and wind power connected to batteries is especially promising but needs to scale rapidly. “How you actually bring the promise of the revolution that is changing the way that we consume and produce power is one of the things we’re wanting to do,” said Jared Blumenfeld, president of Waverley Street Foundation.

The looming U.S. presidential election came up repeatedly as a critical factor for making progress, owing to Donald Trump’s vow to further accelerate fossil-fuel production and roll back environmental regulations.

“If there ever was a no-brainer election, this one is it,” said........

© Forbes